When will repairs start on Highway 101 between Healdsburg and Windsor? Is the Stony Point Road widening ready to begin? What’s with all the steel plates in Cotati? The answers follow.

Question: Most days Sally Jacks travels between Healdsburg and Windsor, and has been looking forward to road repairs along that route since Road Warrior ran this question from Samantha in Ukiah: “The bad surfaces from Cloverdale south to Healdsburg have been scraped and are pretty much OK, and there’s lovely new paving from Windsor south. But the stretch in between is the forgotten stepsister. Southbound’s #2 lane is broken into pieces.”

At the time, Caltrans spokesman Adam Priest told us that a slab replacement/repair project was under design, and construction would start next summer. Writes Jacks, “Could you check for an update since it’s now ‘next summer?’”

Answer: You’ll have to wait another year, says Caltrans spokesperson Allyn Amsk. “Last year when Adam responded to the question, a slab repair and replacement project was ready to advertise, but funding did not become available. The project will be fully funded in Fiscal Year 2013/2014 and is expected to begin construction in summer of 2014.”

The project will run from the Windsor River Road undercrossing in Windsor to 0.2 mile north of the Lytton Springs Road undercrossing, north of Healdsburg.

Question: I noticed the market on Stony Point Road, south of Sebastopol Road, has closed. Does this mean the widening project of Stony Point Road between Sebastopol Road and Hearn Avenue is ready to begin? — Barry

Answer: It’s proceeding on schedule, says Lori Urbanek, Santa Rosa traffic engineer, and closing the Stony Point Road Stop and Go Market was part of the plan. The building will be demolished, and construction should begin this summer with PG&E crews burying the utilities that are now overhead. Road widening work should start in spring 2014 if money is available.

Phase I of that project was completed in 2010, widening Stony Point Road between Sebastopol Road and Highway 12 at a cost of $6 million. Phase II will extend the four-lane road from Sebastopol Road to Hearn Avenue, adding sidewalks, bicycle lanes, a new traffic signal at Lazinni Avenue and pedestrian crossing flashers at Roseland Creek and Mesa Way. It’s projected to cost $24 million.

Commuters between Petaluma, Santa Rosa and Rohnert Park often use Stony Point Road as an alternative to Highway 101, with 50,000 motorists crossing the Sebastopol Road-Stony Point intersection daily. The widening project is intended to ease the pain of peak hour commuters caught in traffic jams.

Question: What is happening in Cotai on Old Redwood Highway as you turn into Cotati from 116? It looks like steel plate heaven. You would think this project would get done quickly as it knocks the heck out of your vehicle trying to drive over all of them. Is there a time frame on this? — Pat

Answer: PG&E is relocating gas mains along Old Redwood Highway between Highway 116 and William Street. PG&E spokesperson Brittany McKannay says work began April 15 and should be finished by next week, when a subcontractor will come in to repave those segments. Until that happens, crews will continue covering their construction areas each day with those steel plates, which are much easier to drive on than the excavation sites.

“Most of the rest of our work will be done at night,” she said, “with some traffic impact. There might also be limited traffic impact while it’s being repaved, but that shouldn’t take long.”

She said PG&E is relocating the gas line in preparation for the city to do work on Old Redwood Highway.

About This Blog

Ever wonder what Caltrans is up to? Want a heads up on road work that may affect you? Or what the traffic laws are? Road Warrior is here to help. We’ll keep you updated on road work across the North Coast, changes in traffic laws and anything else that will help make driving here easier. Send us your questions, and we’ll find the answers to help all Road Warriors. Email your questions or your insights to Attn: Road Warrior at eric.wittmershaus@pressdemocrat.com.